Coal price history, 1970 to 2026

Australian thermal, Newcastle averaged $147.1/t in September 2026, +38% over twelve months and +102% over ten years. The nominal all-time high was $430.8/t in September 2022; in 2024 dollars the real peak was $456/t in September 2022. Monthly averages, World Bank Pink Sheet.

Show latest price in Converted from USD at the latest available monthly average rate (Federal Reserve via FRED); the chart and tables below stay in USD.

Australian thermal, NewcastleSouth African thermal, Richards Bay

Dashed lines: OPEC oil embargo (Oct 1973); Iranian Revolution (Jan 1979); Iraq invades Kuwait (Aug 1990); Asian financial crisis begins (Jul 1997); September 11 attacks (Sep 2001); Lehman Brothers collapse (Sep 2008); Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident (Mar 2011); OPEC holds output steady amid oversupply (Nov 2014); COVID-19 declared a pandemic (Mar 2020); Russia invades Ukraine (Feb 2022); Israel-Hamas war begins (Oct 2023). Hover a line for the source of its date.

Derived price statistics per series
Series	Latest	1 month	12 months	5 years	10 years	20 years	All-time high (nominal)	All-time high (real, 2024 US$)
Australian thermal, Newcastle $/t, since 1970	147.1 September 2026	+9%	+38%	-21%	+102%	+212%	430.8 September 2022	456 September 2022
South African thermal, Richards Bay $/t, since 1984	98.2 September 2026	+1%	+6%	-33%	+44%	+101%	302 April 2022	328.3 April 2022

Percentage changes compare the latest monthly average with the monthly average 1, 12, 60, 120 and 240 months earlier. Real prices deflate by the US consumer price index (BLS via FRED) to 2024 dollars.

Source: World Bank Pink Sheet, 2026-10-02, fetched 6 October 2026 (CC BY 4.0).

Prices are monthly benchmark averages that may lag the market; informational only, not investment, legal or trade advice. For what these benchmarks mean and how they are set, see how coal is priced.

Monthly coal prices by decade

Choose a decade. Values are monthly averages in the unit shown; blank cells mean no quote was published.

Australian thermal, Newcastle ($/t)

Australian thermal, Newcastle monthly prices, 1970s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
1970	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8
1971	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7
1972	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6	9.6
1973	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5	11.5
1974	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9	16.9
1975	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8	26.8
1976	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2	27.2
1977	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7	28.7
1978	27.9	27.1	27.1	27.1	28.6	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	29.1
1979	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	30.2	31.3	31.3	32.4	32.4	32.4	30.93

Australian thermal, Newcastle monthly prices, 1980s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
1980	32.4	32.4	32.4	39.5	40.1	40.7	40.7	44.2	44.6	44.6	45	45	40.13
1981	45	45	45	56.5	56.5	56.5	56.5	56.5	56.5	56.5	56.5	56.5	53.63
1982	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	55.6	45.5	54.76
1983	43	43	43	43	43	43	34.8	34.8	34.8	34.8	32	29.3	38.21
1984	29.3	29.3	29.3	29.3	29.3	31.8	31.8	31.8	31.8	31.8	32.8	33.8	31.01
1985	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8	33.8
1986	33.8	33.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	30.8	29.3	31.18
1987	29.3	29.3	29.3	24.8	24.8	24.8	27	27	27	27	29	31	27.53
1988	31	31	33	33	33	36	36	36	37	37	37.5	38	34.88
1989	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	38

Australian thermal, Newcastle monthly prices, 1990s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
1990	38	38	38	38	40.5	40.5	40.5	40.5	40.5	40.5	40.5	40.5	39.67
1991	40.5	40.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.67
1992	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	39.5	37.3	35	35	38.57
1993	35	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31.33
1994	31	31	29.5	29.5	31.4	33.6	33.1	33.1	33.1	33.1	33.1	36.1	32.3
1995	37.1	37.6	38.4	37.1	38.8	40.8	41.1	40.9	40.9	41	39.6	39.4	39.39
1996	39.4	39.3	39	39.3	38.2	38.2	38.4	38.4	38.1	37.6	35.7	35.4	38.08
1997	35.2	34.6	34.5	35.4	35.7	34.5	35	36.9	37.2	37.2	33.6	31.4	35.1
1998	31.4	33.4	31.9	31.2	30.3	30	30	26.2	27.1	27.1	26.1	26.1	29.23
1999	26.1	26.1	26.1	26.1	26.1	26.1	26.1	26.1	26.1	25.6	25.1	25.1	25.89

Australian thermal, Newcastle monthly prices, 2000s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
2000	25.1	25.1	25.1	25.1	25.6	25.6	25.6	25.6	27.2	27.2	27.2	30.8	26.27
2001	32.1	32.1	32.6	33.5	33.8	33.9	34	33.8	32.8	32.4	29.4	27.4	32.32
2002	27.4	28.1	27.8	27.1	26.9	24.9	23.2	22.3	22.7	24.5	24.5	24.5	25.33
2003	24.9	25.2	24.4	23.5	23.3	24.1	24.4	25.3	26.7	27.5	29.9	34	26.1
2004	37.8	41.8	48.9	53.3	56.4	59.6	61.4	59.3	55.4	56.6	52.8	52.3	52.97
2005	53	49.9	50.9	51.3	51.3	51	50.9	49.1	45.3	42.5	38.1	38.2	47.63
2006	43.2	47.7	49.8	52.9	52.6	52.4	52.8	50.9	47.1	44.1	46	49.8	49.11
2007	51.3	52.9	55.4	56.1	56	61.6	67.3	69.4	68.4	74.8	84.6	91	65.73
2008	91.8	132	118.3	123	133.2	159.8	180	158.4	150	108	92.3	78.7	127.1
2009	79.4	75.4	61	63.6	64.5	71.4	73.8	72.5	67.6	71.1	78.8	83.1	71.85

Australian thermal, Newcastle monthly prices, 2010s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
2010	97	94.2	94.4	100.2	100.1	98.2	96	89.8	94.9	97.5	107.2	118.3	98.98
2011	132.5	128.4	126.1	122.5	119.1	120.1	120.8	120.1	123.1	119.4	113.8	111.6	121.5
2012	116.5	117	107.5	103.6	95.8	87.2	88.2	91	89	81.9	85.9	92.9	96.38
2013	92.8	94.9	91	87.8	87.7	82.8	77.3	77	77.6	79.4	82.3	84.3	84.57
2014	81.6	76.3	73.3	72.8	73.7	71.5	68.8	68.9	65.9	63.7	62.6	62.4	70.13
2015	61.4	69.1	64.8	56.2	61.2	59	59.9	59.1	57.7	54.3	52.5	52.2	58.95
2016	49	50.3	52.2	50.7	51.3	52.9	61.2	67.4	72.7	94.2	103.4	88.2	66.13
2017	83.7	80	80.9	83.7	74.4	81.1	87.5	98.6	97.8	97.1	96.6	100.8	88.52
2018	106.5	106	96.7	93.7	105.3	114.3	119.6	117.3	114.2	108.7	100.7	101.4	107
2019	98.6	95.4	93.1	86.8	82.3	72.5	72.1	65.6	66	69.2	67	66.2	77.9

Australian thermal, Newcastle monthly prices, 2020s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
2020	69.7	67.6	66.7	58.6	52.5	52.2	51.6	50.1	54.6	58.4	64.4	83	60.78
2021	86.8	86.7	94.9	92.2	107	130	152	169.6	185.7	224.5	157.5	169.7	138
2022	197	219.8	314	310.9	371.9	374.1	402.2	407	430.8	389.8	342.2	379.2	344.9
2023	318	207.5	187.2	194.3	160.5	139.4	140.6	152.6	162.5	142.1	126.8	141.8	172.8
2024	124.9	124.2	131.5	135	142	135.1	137.6	145.8	139.2	146.6	142.1	129.8	136.2
2025	118.6	106.9	104	98.6	104.4	109	112.9	112.2	106.3	107.5	112.6	107.7	108.4
2026	109.8	118.4	138.6	130.9	136.9	138.5	131.9	135.2	147.1				131.9

South African thermal, Richards Bay ($/t)

South African thermal, Richards Bay monthly prices, 1980s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
1984	29.3	29.3	29.3	29.3	29.3	34.3	35.8	35.8	35.8	35.8	35.3	34.9	32.85
1985	35.1	35.1	35.1	35.1	35.1	35.1	35.1	35.1	35.1	34.5	34.5	34.5	34.95
1986	33.8	33.8	31.6	31.6	29.5	29.5	29.5	29.5	29.5	29.5	29.5	27.3	30.38
1987	27.3	27.3	27.3	26.2	26.2	26.2	26.2	26.2	26.2	26.2	26.3	26.5	26.51
1988	26.5	26	26.5	27	27.5	27.5	27.5	28.5	29.3	30	30	31	28.11
1989	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31

South African thermal, Richards Bay monthly prices, 1990s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
1990	31	31	31	31	32.5	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	32.88
1991	34	34	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31.5
1992	31	31	31	31	31	29	27	27	27	27	27	27	28.83
1993	27	27	27	27	27	27	27	27	27	27	27	26.5	26.96
1994	27	27	27	27	27	28.5	28.5	28.5	29	30.8	30.5	32	28.57
1995	34	34.5	34.8	35	35	34.9	36.2	35.7	35.9	35.8	36.1	35	35.24
1996	34.8	34.3	32.9	33.7	33.3	32.4	32.1	32	33.4	34.3	34.1	35	33.53
1997	34.6	33.8	33.4	33	32.5	32.3	31.3	31	29.9	29	27.7	27.8	31.36
1998	27.5	26.8	26.7	27.4	27.6	27.3	26.6	26.3	26.4	26.1	26.7	26.7	26.84
1999	26.5	26.4	25.1	25.1	25.1	25.3	23.8	23.1	22.5	22.5	23.5	22.6	24.29

South African thermal, Richards Bay monthly prices, 2000s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
2000	22.8	23.6	24.4	24.9	26.1	27	27	27	27	28.2	26.2	34.7	26.58
2001	35	34.4	35.5	35.5	34.8	34.8	34.4	34.2	33.1	33	31.5	30.5	33.89
2002	29.7	29	28.4	26.8	25.8	24.4	22.7	21.3	23.1	27.4	27	26.9	26.04
2003	27.5	27	25.8	23.8	23.7	26.8	29.5	30.2	34.1	36.7	39.2	38.7	30.25
2004	41.3	42.3	42.5	47.3	52.6	62.6	68.5	63.6	61	59.7	60.8	54.3	54.71
2005	51.4	46.6	45.3	46.3	45.9	49.1	51.3	49.5	46.6	43.3	38.1	41	46.2
2006	44.7	49.4	54.5	54.9	50.4	52.4	51.7	53.6	48.8	49.2	48.2	50.7	50.71
2007	50.1	51.6	53.5	51.4	50.3	56.8	58.1	60.2	62.8	73.1	89.8	94.3	62.67
2008	100.6	115	111	108.8	120.7	142.4	167.8	156.9	147.8	109.7	89.4	77.3	120.6
2009	76.4	69.1	58.6	62.9	58	60.2	61.1	64.3	61.1	64.4	66.4	73.8	64.69

South African thermal, Richards Bay monthly prices, 2010s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
2010	86.9	83.4	83	88.7	90.9	92.8	90.6	87.9	85.8	91	103.2	115.2	91.62
2011	122.6	117.7	121	124	120.5	119	116.3	118.3	115.6	110.9	105.5	104.2	116.3
2012	106.3	105.3	103.4	101.3	93.8	85.3	87.3	89.1	85.8	82.8	85.7	88.8	92.91
2013	86.1	85.1	82.8	82	81.8	77.3	72.6	72.9	73.1	80.6	83.8	84.6	80.23
2014	82.9	77.6	74.6	75.1	75.8	74.1	71.4	71.2	67.9	65.7	65.7	66.1	72.34
2015	59.3	63.5	59.9	59	61.6	60.7	57.9	55	51.4	50.1	53.3	48.8	56.71
2016	49.1	50.3	52.6	52.4	54.2	58.6	62.4	66.3	68.3	83.8	89.2	80.2	63.95
2017	86.5	83.6	79.1	78.9	74.4	79.2	81.7	87.8	92.3	91.4	91.4	95.5	85.15
2018	97.5	92.7	89.5	92.3	101.9	103.9	106	98.5	102.1	100.3	91.6	95.4	97.64
2019	91.3	84.2	78.8	72.5	68.9	62.9	65.8	60.4	61.4	67.4	73.6	76	71.93

South African thermal, Richards Bay monthly prices, 2020s, $/t
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Average
2020	82.1	80	67.9	56.6	57.4	56.8	56.6	57.4	57.5	61	69.4	85.2	65.66
2021	86.9	82.8	90.7	89.1	99.3	112.9	122.3	137.9	146.1	199.7	128	142.5	119.9
2022	168.5	196.4	294.4	302	280	291.4	269.1	274.6	235	191.2	169.1	215	240.6
2023	172	144.7	136.8	133.7	103	98.6	96.8	97.6	99.9	128.4	109	108.8	119.1
2024	106.8	105.2	104.8	104.9	105.6	105.3	105.3	106.2	106.1	106.8	106.8	105.5	105.8
2025	103.3	100.4	98	95.6	94.3	93.8	93.6	93.3	92.3	91.6	91.6	90.9	94.89
2026	90.6	91.2	93.8	94.8	95.6	96.3	96.3	96.8	98.2				94.84

Method

Nominal prices are the source's monthly averages in US dollars, stored in the source's unit and never mixed on one chart. Real prices divide each month by the US consumer price index for all urban consumers (BLS series CPIAUCSL, via FRED) and multiply by the 2024 average, so they read as "2024 dollars". Changes are ratios of monthly averages. The all-time high is the highest monthly average, not an intraday peak.

Downloads

All series and statistics as JSON
Monthly prices as CSV (Australian thermal, Newcastle, South African thermal, Richards Bay)

Cite as: Commodity Origins, "Coal price history (1970–2026)", https://commodityorigins.com/prices/coal/, data 2026-10-02. Data updated 22 October 2026.